Marry That Girl
by seriouslydelusional
Summary: Nozomi liked to believe that she prefers to be alone. But she never had guessed that everything could change when the right person enters your life. A story about the progression of Tojo Nozomi and Ayase Eri's relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I do not own these characters. This is entirely a work of fiction :) Anyway, this fic contains most of my headcanon about this couple. If you have other suggestions or feedbacks, you could pm me or leave me an ask :) Also, if you see errors in this fic, my apologies! This fic is unbeta'd since my beta is quite busy with her personal stuff :(

Enjoy!

* * *

Nozomi sat at her desk reading her book. She's in a corner of her classroom at whatever middle school. She didn't bother to remember its name because she knew it would be pointless anyway.

She will be transferring to another school by the end of the week.

For the 2nd time that year,

Because of her parent's work.

"—Really? You went there? You're really lucky you get to travel often. I wish my parents would—"

Nozomi's eye twitched. A furrowed brow marred her usual mask of indifference. She closed the book she was reading and stood up, her chair making a loud noise. Her classmates looked at her, confused byher sudden movements. She pretended not to see them and exited the room.

One of the things she really disliked was how someone could easily say that people who travel often are lucky. That travelling brought a sense of accomplishment when you experience new things and meet new people. That overcoming challenges, such as finding a certain address in your new town, would give you some of the greatest joys of all.

Because Nozomi thought _otherwise._

It's not that she hated having to experience new things or meeting new people.

No.

It's that she didn't like how people took for granted the fact that they have a permanent _home_ they can always return to.

Because _she_ didn't have that privilege.

She didn't like the challenge of finding the nearest convenience store from her new house. Or that she had to remember the name of their new landlord and their new address in case she got lost. Or knowing small details like which corner to turn and what street her house was located.

She had been doing that for more times than she could count. And frankly, she was tired of it all.

She hated the idea of having to move from town to town. To meet another set of people whose names she never bothered to remember. To always brush off her Mama's questioning of how she didn't have that many friends. Or to prepare dinner alone because her Papa told her that they would arrive home late.

But she couldn't complain.

Because she knew her parents are working really hard to make sure that there is food on their table. That they send her to school for her education. That they provide for her wants and needs.

She doesn't want to be selfish.

It wasn't in her nature to burden others.

So she pretended to be okay with everything. She brushed off her classmate's offer of friendship in favour of books and solitude. She reasoned out that it was pointless and that nothing would come out of befriending the people she would eventually leave behind.

No one even cared to understand her.

In middle school, Nozomi learned that any form of friendship is temporary. That it's just an anchor that could pull her down. A tie that she eventually needed to cut loose.

She knew that three or four years from now, her classmates wouldn't even remember her name.

She didn't even bother to unpack most of her things because she knew that one call from her Papa's company means that she would have to get used to another environment.

And leave the one she currently lived in.

Nozomi liked to think that she preferred to be alone.

But every time she sees her classmates play and go home together, a pang in her chest reminds her that she's being dishonest with herself.

* * *

"Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Ayase Eri. I hope we can be friends."

Nozomi stared at the girl in front of her. There was something in her that caught Nozomi's attention. She studied the girl. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Cold demeanour.

When she walked the hallways of Otonokizaka High School, Nozomi thought that nothing would change. That she would just have to endure another year of isolation. That she would just have to keep to herself and not do anything to attract unwanted attention.

But seeing the blonde girl survey the classroom with her cold exterior and calculating eyes helped spark something inside Nozomi.

For the first time, she met someone that she wouldn't mind being friends with.

* * *

"You seem happy today?" Her mom asked her when she got home from school. "Did you meet someone and made new friends?"

"No." She answered, smiling. She put her bag down on their couch and helped her mother prepare their dinner.

_But I'm planning to._

* * *

Nozomi spent the next few weeks watching the girl. She found out that they were kind of the same.

Both of them protected themselves by distancing from others. They couldn't fit in that easily. The girl's awkwardness and strong character, together with Nozomi's weirdness, made them clash with other people. It got Nozomi thinking that, maybe, Ayase Eri was lonely like she was.

Nozomi was used to meeting different kinds of people. She could easily identify if a person was putting up false appearances.

And while observing Ayase Eri, she discovered that the blonde had put up a very big wall around her. A wall that her classmates couldn't even budge.

But, she couldn't cheat a person like Nozomi.

That's when she decided that she would very much like Ayase Eri to be her friend.

* * *

The class had just let out. Students had gone to their respective clubs or to their homes. Nozomi, meanwhile, had other plans.

When the bell rang and the students started to exit the rooms, she immediately gathered her things. She looked around their classroom but the person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. She darted towards the hallways and saw Ayase Eri going down the stairs.

She ran to catch up to her.

"Excuse me!"

The girl stopped and looked back at her with a furrowed brow. "Who are you?"

"I-I. . ." Nozomi stuttered, doubt lacing her words. She averted her eyes and looked down.

_Don't be scared. Just introduce yourself._

Nozomi composed herself and directed a smile to the blonde. "I'm Tojo Nozomi."

Ayase Eri could only stare up at her, surprised by Nozomi's friendly introduction. Nozomi moved down the stairs to stand beside Eri.

"Do you want to go home together?"

It took a while for Eri to answer her, still hesitant about the sudden introduction. ". . .Sure."

She tried to sound casual about it but Nozomi could see that the girl's lips lifted a fraction.

That was how their friendship began.

As the days continued, Nozomi saw herself spending more time with Eri. They always spent lunch eating together. On their free times, conversation flowed easily between them. If one of them is on class duty, the other would wait for them to finish. They made sure that they always go home together.

Although they haven't called each other by their first names or gone to each other's houses yet, Nozomi liked to think that her friendship with Eri is progressing, albeit at a slow pace.

* * *

"What?"

They're currently walking side by side on their way home. Nozomi kept on stealing glances at Eri's profile. At first, the blonde ignored it, thinking that Nozomi was just being her weird self; but, after a while, it made her uncomfortable so she eventually asked.

"I just thought that your hair looked really nice when the afternoon light shined upon it. It's like you're glowing."

Eri stopped on her tracks and stared dumbstruck at Nozomi. She looked too innocent, as if unaware about the things she had just said. It took Eri a long time to process that the comment really came out of her friend's mouth. When it registered, her face burned from embarrassment.

"God! You can be blunt sometimes."

Eri subconsciously brushed her bangs away from her face. She started walking briskly, leaving Nozomi behind. Seeing Eri's reaction made Nozomi smile. From that point onwards, she made it her mission to tease the girl when an opportunity presented itself.

_She's just too cute._

They continued to walk, with Nozomi behind Eri. She appeared to be calm but her jerky movements indicated that Nozomi's words affected her. Nozomi smiled even wider because of it.

Nozomi liked to think that she prefers to be alone.

But watching Eri's back and thinking about their time together made her retract those thoughts.

* * *

"What is that?" Eri asked, pointing towards the cards Nozomi was holding.

The teacher left a while ago, leaving the students with their study period. Eri was busy with copying notes from her book until her curiosity got the better of her.

"Tarot cards," answered Nozomi without looking. She had been switching between shuffling her deck and reading a Tarot guide book for a while now. The noise she was making distracted Eri from her studying.

"I can see that. I mean, what will you do with it?"

"I'm learning Tarot Card reading."

"Why?" Eri stopped writing her notes and set her things aside. She faced Nozomi and stared at the cards she was holding, still unsure about her friend's actions.

"I saw it on the TV and liked it."

Eri arched her eyebrows in question. Nozomi looked at her out the corner of her eyes. Her lips curved into a small smile.

"I just like knowing about the potential outcomes of things. I like the reminder that the universe is big and I'm just a small part of it, but I can still have an influence on things and vice versa.

Nozomi stopped playing with the cards and placed it neatly on top of her guide book.

"I mean, I can't control the future but I like the sense of somewhat knowing how things affect each other and all that. It's helping me have a sense of purpose."

Eri frowned, still bewildered. "I don't get you."

"Just think of it this way, it's like a comfort blanket. It gives me a sense of security." Nozomi explained, giving her friend a soft smile. She pulled out her math textbook and started taking down notes.

_Because I don't want to make a wrong decision and end up losing the things I value now._

Nozomi didn't want to think that her friendship with Eri is only temporary. These past few weeks had really made her happy. She didn't have to think about doing things alone because she had Eri to accompany her.

It made the ache in her heart subside.

They may still have their walls around them, but slowly but surely, she had been building windows around it for Eri to enter.

That counts for something, right?

* * *

"Tojo-san. Can I ask you a question?"

Today, they were assigned together for cleaning duty. Nozomi was cleaning the chalk board, while Eri sat on one of the front desks, waiting patiently for Nozomi to finish her task.

"Yeah."

"Why haven't you called me by my first name yet? We have been friends for a while now."

It made Nozomi pause. She looked back at Eri who was leaning her head on her hands and eyeing her.

"Do you want me to?"

Nozomi was sporting a shit-eating grin and Eri could see that her eyes were shining with mischief.

"I-I was just asking! I didn't say that I wanted to!" She quickly backtracked, her face turning a light shade of crimson. She huffed and crossed her arms, directing her attention elsewhere.

"You're lying! I could see it in your face . . . E-ri-chi!~" Nozomi teased, emphasizing the last syllables. She got her desired effect when Eri abruptly stood up and gathered her things. Nozomi could see that her friend's face was red, even reaching the tips of her ears.

"Whatever. I'm going to leave you now."

Nozomi's grin turned into laughter when Eri exited the room.

As Eri strutted into the hallways, she could still hear Nozomi's laughter from their classroom.

Nozomi continued her cleaning, still smiling to herself. She wasn't even bothered when Eri left the room.

She knew that the blonde would be waiting for her outside the school's gate anyway.

* * *

"I'm home!"

"Nozomi, come help me in the kitchen."

"Okay!"

Nozomi deposited her bag on their living room couch and entered their kitchen. She saw her mother grab things from the fridge. She quickly approached her and took some of the load her mom was carrying.

"Where's Papa?" She asked as she unloaded the ingredients on the table. She grabbed one of the knives from the rack and started cutting the carrots.

"He said he'll be a little late but he promised to have dinner with us."

"Okay."

Her mother looked at Nozomi. She observed her daughter hum to herself while peeling some of the potatoes. She smiled and went back to the stove.

"How's school?" She asked while stirring the contents of the pot.

"The usual."

". . .you've changed since you entered Otonokizaka."

"Really?" Nozomi stopped mid-cut and looked at her mother blankly. Her mother flashed her a smile, ". . .I didn't notice."

"Yes. You smile often."

Nozomi went back to her previous work. A comfortable silence enveloped the kitchen. Nozomi was too focused on forming shapes on some of the carrots; she almost didn't hear her mom start speaking. If it wasn't so quiet, Nozomi would have missed her mom's words.

". . .I'm glad you're having fun here."

She looked back at her mother, a slow smile forming on her face.

_Me too._

* * *

Thank you for reading! You can drop me an ask or pm me! I won't mind. My tumblr link is in my profile :D Also, I'll try my best to update every 4-7 days (depending on my mood and my interest -_-). Don't worry! I'm not the type to abandon my work :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own these characters. This is entirely a work of fiction :)

**A/N: **I own up to all the mistakes in this chapter. If you see one, please tell me so I could edit it xD Also, sorry for the short chapter! I have a habit of dividing an intended whole chapter into small parts. It's a habit I wish to correct in the future chapters. Lastly, I'm kind of busy this week so the next update would probably take a while! (But I promise to update ASAP!)

Enjoy! :)

* * *

"It's raining again." Eri stated while looking at the sky. It was tar-black and she could see the large clouds looming over them. The sound of rain droplets hitting the ground drowned out the conversations of the students still inside the school. Colorful umbrellas decorated the scene, and some students were running for cover. They had just entered the rainy season last week. Eri wouldn't admit it, but she had grown comfortable with the weather since it reminded her of her hometown back in Russia (even though it's not as cold as her place.)

"The sun was out this morning too. Did you bring your umbrella?" She directed her question to Nozomi who was checking the contents of her bag. They had just finished with their last class and were now standing near the school entrance doors.

"I think I did. . ."

Eri observed her friend's panicked actions. Nozomi appeared troubled by something. She started emptying the contents of her bag in a frantic pace.

_Why is she pulling out things from her bag? Did she forget something from the classroom? We could go back, we're still in the school anyway._

"Nozomi—"

"—I left my umbrella." Nozomi cut her off. Eri closed her mouth and stayed silent. She saw Nozomi blow out a defeated sigh. _That explains it. I'll just have to help her._

"I'll walk you home then."

Eri watched as Nozomi spun around to look at her, surprise evident on her face. It made Eri arch one of her eyebrows. _Is it really that surprising?_

"I-it's alright. I can just wait for the rain to stop."

Eri continued to stare unconvincingly at Nozomi who was beginning to gather her things into her bag. She could see that Nozomi was bothered by the rain since she kept glancing at the school's gate longingly.

_There she goes again with her stubbornness._ Eri thought.

"You're troublesome. Rely on me from time to time." She pulled out her umbrella and opened it. She tilted her head to the side and smiled, silently inviting Nozomi to join her.

Nozomi looked at sincere blue orbs for a long time. Then, she chuckled and moved to stand beside Eri under the umbrella. "You're one to talk."

Eri rolled her eyes when Nozomi nudged her shoulder. She grinned and they started walking towards the gate.

On this rainy afternoon, everyone hurried along, going about their own businesses. Except for Nozomi and Eri who were leisurely strolling the sidewalk. They were enjoying each other's company, making small talk and laughing. The whistling of the wind silenced the sounds of traffic, providing for them a soothing ambience. A gust of wind passed over the two friends.

Eri noticed Nozomi shudder. She grabbed her by the sleeve of her uniform and pulled her closer. Nozomi tried to put distance between them but she linked their arms together.

"If you move too much, you'll get wet. This umbrella is small for two people, but I'm sharing it because you forgot yours."

Nozomi stopped struggling, so Eri beamed at her; but she looked away. Eri noticed that her friend's face had a tinge of pink —she chalked it up to the cold weather.

_She's probably uncomfortable. I'm used to the cold so it doesn't really bother me._

She pulled Nozomi much closer and scanned the area around them. She could see middle school kids running and jumping in the puddle. She smiled at the thought of her little sister playing in the rain. She was distracted and didn't realize that Nozomi was staring at her.

Eri glanced back at Nozomi to point out the kids and noticed her friend quickly avert her eyes. Eri furrowed her brow and waited for Nozomi to look back at her. When Nozomi took a peek, turquoise eyes met blue.

Eri smirked. "Why are you always staring at me?"

"I-It's nothing."

"You've been doing that quite a lot."

Nozomi chose to ignore the blonde's comment and darted her eyes towards the people walking in front of them. Eri let out a small laugh and observed Nozomi out of the corner of her eyes. She could see that Nozomi's face had now turned into a darker shade of crimson.

_She's probably really cold._

"Where's your house anyway? I've been following you blindly and you never told me where you lived."

"Near the shrine."

They turned around a corner and took second street to the left. Nozomi stopped in front of an apartment complex. She peered at Eri who was surveying the building.

"Well, this is my stop. You could just leave me here. I could go up on my own."

Eri checked the apartment, wondering which room Nozomi belonged to. She curiously eyed the vicinity. _Her house is actually near from mine._

"Do you want to go up?"

Eri whipped her head to direct her attention at Nozomi. Her friend was shifting her gaze from her house to Eri, a tentative smile shown on her face.

"I can't. I need to go home now. My sister's waiting for me." rejected Eri, disappointment crossing her features. She took note of Nozomi's dejected look. It made her feel guilty for declining the offer. _I want to, but mom's not home and Arisa would be alone._

"Maybe next time?" Eri offered, a hopeful lilt to her voice. She gave Nozomi an apologetic smile, trying to convey her regret.

"I'll hold you to that," responded Nozomi whose lips quirked into a small smile. She pulled something out of her pocket and extended it to Eri, "By the way, thanks."

Eri accepted the object and stared at it, then looked back at Nozomi, eyebrows knitted in confusion. _A handkerchief?_

"You got your hair and uniform wet because of me. You could use that to wipe it off."

Eri regarded her for a minute, and then she grinned. She used the handkerchief to wipe her forehead and turned around to start her walk in the direction of her house. She glanced at the thing she was holding.

She smiled and put it inside her pocket.

_It smelled sweet, probably like jasmine._

* * *

Nozomi just got out of her bath and went directly to the kitchen to get milk from the fridge. When she exited, she saw her parents in the living room, watching whatever was on TV. She walked towards the couch and sat beside them.

"Mama?"

"Yes dear?" answered her mom, who was snuggled beside her dad, casually flipping through the channel.

"Can I invite a friend over? Not now, I mean, probably sometime soon?"

Her mom quickly turned her head to gape at her, forgetting all about the TV. She glanced back at her husband who was staring at Nozomi, eyes wide with amazement. Nozomi pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at them. _They are too dramatic._

"You guys looked shock. I feel offended by that." She pouted and pretended to be hurt. Her parents only laughed at her.

"Well, it's the first time I heard that from you." Her mom stated, trying to contain the grin forming on her face. Her dad, meanwhile, was not even trying. Nozomi glared at her father, trying to silence him. It only made him laugh harder.

"Thank you for making fun of me." She remarked, sarcasm coating her words. She crossed her arms and turned to the TV. Her mom chuckled and pulled her in a hug.

"I want in on the fun too." Her dad chimed and enveloped them both in a bear hug. Nozomi could only cuddle closer to her parents.

_This is the reason why I can't stay mad at them. They always work but when they're free, they treat me like they haven't seen me for years._

"I'm glad you're making friends and enjoying yourself." Her dad mumbled, directing a gentle smile to Nozomi. She kissed both of her parents on the cheek and snuggled closer to them.

"Yeah. I am too." She whispered back. She stayed in her parents' embrace, content with the comfort they brought her. Her parents smiled and fixated their attention back to the TV. After a while, they heard Nozomi sneeze.

"I told you to always bring your umbrella. You'll catch a cold if you keep forgetting it." Her dad reprimanded sternly, while her mom looked at her with concern.

"I'm okay, Dad. I'm going to sleep now," reassured Nozomi, giving them a smile. She stood up, bid her parents goodnight and went back to her room.

* * *

"Ayase-san!" Eri turned around and saw her homeroom teacher calling out to her. She was signalled by her teacher to come closer. When she came near, she was handed a pile of papers. "Since you're the class representative, could you deliver these notes to Tojo-san?"

She nodded, accepting the papers given to her and started walking through the hallways. Nozomi had been absent since this morning. She didn't know what happened to her until the homeroom teacher announced that Nozomi caught a cold. She wanted to text her to ask her if she's alright, but she realized she didn't have Nozomi's number.

"Ayase-san!" Eri stopped in her tracks again and turned towards the person who called her, it was her classmate. _Tachibana-san, if I remembered correctly._

"You're best friends with Nozomi-chan, right?" She nodded slowly, unsure if _best friend _was the right term to call them. "Can you return this to her? I forgot to give it back to her the other day."

_Is Nozomi this popular?_ Eri wondered. She took the notebook from her classmate, thanking her in the process, and put it inside her bag. She exited the school and started her trek towards Nozomi's house.

_Her house is near the shrine. . .okay. . .turn around this corner. ._

She walked further and saw the familiar street leading to Nozomi's apartment. She stopped when she reached her destination. She looked up and a realization hit her. _I don't know which room she lived in._

She looked around. _Maybe there's a mailbox with her name on it or something._

She was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She twisted her head around to look at the person.

"Are you, perhaps, a friend of Nozomi?" The woman smiled at her. Eri could only look at her with a flabbergasted expression. The woman before her was really beautiful. Her purple hair cascaded gently on her shoulder; its color highlighted her captivating brown orbs. Eri nodded dumbly, not trusting herself to speak.

"It's on the third floor, furthest door to the right."

The woman gave Eri another smile and walked away. Eri could only stare stupidly after her. She was only pulled out of her reverie when she realized that she was standing on the same spot for too long. She continued her way to Nozomi's unit. She reached the door but she couldn't find it in herself to knock.

_Why am I so nervous, I'm just going to give the notes to her._

She inhaled a lungful of air, trying to compose herself. When she exhaled, she raised her arm to knock, but the door suddenly opened.

"Mama—" A man looked down at her. She quickly lowered her arm and stood rooted on her spot. She observed the man; He was dressed casually, his black hair was ruffled and Eri could see that his face was clean-shaven; but what captured her attention were his turquoise eyes. The man offered her a smile.

"Can I help you?"

"I-I'm Ayase E-Eri, a classmate of T-Tojo Nozomi" Eri stuttered, a blush forming on her cheeks. She bowed her head to hide her embarrassment.

"Come in," The man beamed and stepped aside to let her in. He walked into the kitchen to get something from the fridge, trying to be a good host. "Do you want anything?"

"Water would be fine, thank you." Eri politely replied and walked into the living room to sit on the loveseat. She examined her surroundings; The TV was turned off, books were neatly placed on the bookshelves, papers and pens were strewn over the coffee table and she could see family photos decorating the place.

_There are photos everywhere but it doesn't have a homey feel to it. _Eri concluded.

"Sorry. The place is a mess. I worked undertime since Nozomi is sick and brought over some paperwork," The man came in and brought back her drink, putting it on the table in front of her. Eri gave him an appreciative smile and reached out to take a sip. "Nozomi's in her room. My wife—"

The man —Nozomi's father, Eri assumed— stopped speaking. His eyes went wide, as if he just realized something.

"Sorry, is it alright to leave you for a bit? I need to give _this_ to my wife. She forgot her grocery list." Nozomi's father explained with an apologetic tone. He excused himself and bolted out of the room. After a minute, he went back.

"You could go in her room to check on her, it's the third door on the right. She's in there, probably asleep. You could just leave her notes on the study table." He finished and exited their apartment. Eri remained seated on the loveseat, a dumfounded expression on her face.

_They're too trusting._

Eri rose to her feet and wandered into the hallway leading to the bedrooms. When she reached Nozomi's room, she turned the knob slowly and took a peek inside. The curtains were drawn and it made the room dark; the only light source came from the lamp on the bedside table. She stepped inside and carefully crossed the room to go near the bed. She saw Nozomi covered in layers of blanket, a wet cloth placed on top of her forehead.

_She's shivering._

Eri sat on the empty space beside the purple-head and set her bag on the floor. She studied her sick friend. Her face was scrunched in discomfort. She hesitantly cupped Nozomi's face and blushed when the girl leaned into her touch.

_Why do I feel warm, is the AC turned on?_ Eri glanced at the air conditioner to make sure it's functioning properly, and then looked back at her sleeping friend.

Eri removed the cloth on Nozomi's head, soaked it in the nearby wash basin and wrung it dry. She then positioned it back on her friend's forehead. Her hand lingered for a bit and she subconsciously started stroking Nozomi's face. Her lips lifted a fraction when calmness settled on the girl's features.

_She's too cute, especially when she sleeps_.

She examined her friend intently.

_She's really beautiful._

She slowly inched forward.

_She looked so peaceful up close._

She took note of her friend's closed eyelids.

_I didn't realize her eyelashes are long. _

Her eyes slowly drifted to Nozomi's nose, and then settled on her slightly parted lips.

_It looks so soft._

Their faces were inches apart.

Closer.

She could feel Nozomi's even breaths trickle her skin.

". . .Erichi?"

She was pulled out of her trance.

* * *

_It's too cold._

Something was pressed against her skin. She leaned into it.

_That's much better._

After a while, she felt a damp object placed on her head, and something started lightly brushing her face. She settled down and slowly drifted back to sleep.

She was near the edge of unconsciousness when the stroking stopped.

_Wait, No. Don't pause._

Nozomi slowly opened her eyes. A blur of yellow flooded her vision.

_Why is a star here? Am I dreaming?_

Her eyes started to focus and settled on her friend.

". . .Erichi?"

The girl quickly drew back, eyes wide with surprise. Nozomi dazedly stared at her. _Why is Erichi here?_

"Y-you're awake."

She heard Eri stutter out a response. She removed the object on her forehead and put it beside her. She slowly sat up and looked around her surroundings. _I'm still in my room._

"T-the teacher asked me to give this to you," She turned back to Eri when the blonde started speaking. She noticed that her friend's face was flushed crimson, "And t-this too. Tachibana-san gave this to me. She said it's yours."

She accepted the things that was handed to her and put it on the space beside her. She directed her attention back to Eri.

"Why are you flushed? Are you sick too?" Eri stared at her for a long time, and then released a sigh of relief when Nozomi remained oblivious to what she did prior. The purple-head raised her eyebrows and reached out to check Eri's forehead. The girl blushed harder.

_She's flushed but I don't think she's sick._

"Are you alright?" inquired Nozomi, eyes filled with concern.

"I-it's nothing." Eri flashed her a smile, but Nozomi could see that it wasn't sincere. She was about to point it out when the blonde started to speak.

"A-anyway, your parents just let me in, I think they left me to buy something"

Eri awkwardly fumbled with the hem of her uniform, her head casted down. Nozomi gazed at her for a while, contemplating whether she should push the topic or not.

She decided to let Eri off.

"Sorry about that. Friends don't come visit me often," Nozomi apologized, pushing the covers off of her, "My parents are really nice people, but leaving a guest alone is rude."

_I should probably talk to them about it._ Nozomi thought.

"It's alright. Your father offered me a drink before he left. He was kind of in a hurry"

Eri gave her a reassuring smile, which Nozomi returned, thankful that the blonde wasn't the least bit offended. They heard a knock and the door opened. They both looked up to see her mother's head propped against the door. "Dinner will be ready soon. Ayase-san, care to join us for dinner?"

Eri looked at Nozomi, silently asking if it would be alright. Nozomi nodded her head.

"Sure. I would just let my mom know that I'll be home late."

* * *

Their dinner went smoothly. Nozomi's parents apologized for their lack of manners and introduced themselves. After that, the conversations couldn't seem to stop, even when the food was placed on the table. Nozomi's parents were very hospitable, as if they had known Eri for a long time. Small bantering was thrown here and there. Eri realized that her friend's parents were fun to be around; she now understood where Nozomi got her caring and mischievous side.

"I didn't know you were friends with other people." Eri stated while staring at Nozomi. The two friends are currently walking towards the shrine. Nozomi insisted that she walk Eri home, but the blonde refused, stating that she was sick and should just rest. The purple-head wouldn't listen to her so they came to a compromise: Nozomi would walk with Eri until they reach shrine.

"You seem to always spend your time with me, so I thought you weren't getting along with people."

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Nozomi mocked playfully. She laughed when Eri blushed, directing a glare at her. After a while, her laughs turned into coughing fits; it caused Eri to rub her back worriedly.

She shook her head to indicate that she was okay and looked at Eri apologetically. They were enveloped with silence once everything settled down.

_We're almost at the shrine. _Nozomi thought while scanning the area.

"Hey Nozomi, do you consider me as your best friend?" She turned to face Eri, surprised at her sudden question. Eri appeared to be indifferent, but she could see that her hands are shaking. A definite crack on her cool demeanour. "I-I mean, our classmates seem to think that we are. I just thought that I should ask for your opinion."

_Do I? She's the first person I genuinely came to like. I mean, I'm friends with other people, but she's the only person who saw me with my guard down._

She eyed Eri, pondering whether she should play it off or be honest. When she saw Eri look at her with worry, she decided to tell the truth.

"Yes. I suppose I do."

The megawatt smile Eri directed at her just confirmed that she made the right decision. When they reached the shrine, Eri abruptly stopped and looked at her dead in the eye. It made Nozomi nervous.

"N-Nozomi, I realized I don't have your number," Eri started, a blush slowly appearing on her face. Nozomi smirked at her, "Is it alright to ask for it?"

_For a moment, I thought she was about to confess something._

"Eh? I guess I have no choice since Eri's the one asking for it." She answered teasingly, it made Eri blush harder. She accepted the phone Eri passed to her. After saving the number, Eri bid her goodbye and started walking home; a wide smile plastered on her face.

Later that night, Nozomi received a text from an unknown number.

_**Unknown**_

_**Subject:**__ Goodnight!_

_Thanks for the dinner :) You're parents are really cool._

_I hope I can visit another time too! _ (=^-ω-^=)

_PS. I think turquoise suits purple much better ;)_

Nozomi didn't understand the last part, but the message made her happy.

It made her sleep more comfortably.

* * *

Again, thank you to all the readers :) If you have a problem with the pacing and other stuff, kindly tell me so that I could adjust the future chapters. Anyway, the next chapter will probably deal with how Nozomi came to live by herself, how she realized that she liked Eri not only as friend, and _probably_ the introduction of µ's. I hope you look forward to it. Also, I was curious as to how you guys perceive Nozomi and Eri's dynamics (so that I would know and probably add that to the fic.) You could hit up my ask or write a review about it :) Thank you everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. The franchise isn't mine. This story contains most of my headcanons, so if you guys kind of disagree, you could message me and/or hit me an ask in tumblr (since I'm online most of the time lol) xD

A/N: Sorry about the late update! I was too caught up with my personal life that I wasn't able to give some of my time to my writing. But, rest assured, I'll go back to weekly updating this story :) To those who reviewed, I'm really sorry about not replying! I'm new to ffnet and I haven't figured out how to reply to your reviews, until recently. Lastly, Thank you to everyone who followed, reviewed and favorited this story xD Again, errors are all mine. (If you see one, please message me!)

Without further ado, Enjoy!

* * *

After sending her text to Nozomi, Eri lay down on the bed and buried her face into her pillows. Although she appeared calm on the dinner table earlier, she was actually having an internal meltdown. She couldn't stop her heart from pounding and she kept hearing her subconscious asking her a fairly simple question: _were you about to kiss Nozomi?_

She didn't have—or rather, didn't want— to answer it, so she distracted herself by engaging in small talk with Nozomi's parents; although, that didn't stop her from stealing glances at her friend. She's glad that Nozomi was not as perceptive as she normally was, or else, Eri would have to explain why she's so twitchy.

Now that she's in the comfort of her own room, her mind freely wandered back to her previous action. She didn't know what possessed her to do the _unspeakable thing_ inside Nozomi's bedroom. She felt guilty and troubled since she basically tried to take advantage of her sleeping friend.

_I didn't even realize what I was about to do until she called out my name. Why did I want to k-k-_kiss_ her? I mean, I know Nozomi's attractive, but is it even normal to do that?_

She sensed a blush coming along, her thoughts eliciting a feeling of shame within her. She sat up and started frantically banging her fists on her pillows.

_Urgh! I'm such an idiot. There's nothing wrong with it. I just find her attractive. That's all there is to it. She's just a friend. A really close friend. A friend whose lips you find—_

Eri's felt her face heating up, so she increased the pace of her banging (as if doing so would magically erase the memory of what she did.)

"What are you doing, Eri-neechan?"

She abruptly stopped and looked at the door, eyes wide with terror. Her sister, Arisa, was staring at her, astonishment written on her face.

"I-i-it's nothing," Eri coughed, trying to compose herself. She carefully put her pillow back near the headboard and sat up straight, as though nothing happened before her sister entered the room. (Arisa could see that her sister's face was flushed, but she didn't want to point it out and embarrass her further.)

"I was just making sure that the pillows are fluffy enough."

". . . Really? It looked to me as if you're trying to punch the lights out of it."

Eri chose not to comment on it and redirected the flow of the conversation. "A-anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Well, grandma called. She wants to talk to you."

"O-okay. Tell her I'll call her later."

Arisa raised her eyebrows and looked at Eri for a long time, curious as to why her older sister was acting strangely. She wanted to ask what's wrong, but eventually decided against it. She was about to exit the room when she heard her sister mutter something under her breath. She looked back and waited for Eri to speak.

"Arisa. . .what does it mean when you want to. . .k-kiss someone?"

She squinted at Eri, her eyes meeting doubtful blue ones. _Is_ _this what's bothering her?_

". . .it probably means that you like them?" Arisa slowly answered, oddly eyeing her older sister. She rolled her eyes and shrugged when Eri didn't give any indication of responding back. She then walked out to go back to the living room, closing the door behind her.

She didn't realize that her answer left Eri to reflect upon her past action with a feeling of dread encompassing her.

Eri felt her throat tighten with the newfound information.

_So. . .I. . .like. . .Nozomi?_

* * *

She sensed that something was _off_.

Nozomi just can't pinpoint what exactly, but she's sure something was different.

Specifically, something was different with Eri.

It started a couple of weeks ago. Eri seemed to be avoiding any form of contact with her. The first time she noticed it was when she accidentally brushed hands with the blonde. Her friend stiffened and quickly snatched her hands away. Then, she excused herself and left Nozomi alone in the library. The purple-head didn't mind it at that time, thinking that it was a one-time occurrence.

But, lately, she's not so sure anymore.

On their class duties together, Eri kept making excuses to not pair up with her. On their way home, there was always a one foot distance between them. Eri couldn't even hold eye contact with her for more than three seconds. She was bothered by it, of course, but she didn't want to put Eri in the spotlight, afraid that it might cause a gap between them.

But now, she's had enough of it.

She wants her normal best friend back.

So she decided to confront Eri when they were assigned together for library duty. Eri was putting the books that were passed to her back on the shelves. An awkward silence had settled around the room, each one of them afraid of breaking the silence. Earlier, the blonde pleaded with a classmate to switch with her, but Nozomi was adamant that no switching was to be permitted. No one dared to argue since it was the first time everyone saw the purple-head with an angry expression.

"Did I do something wrong?" Nozomi asked, worry marring her features. Eri stopped what she was doing and looked blankly at her.

Nozomi thought she saw a flicker of fear cross Eri's face, but she's not entirely sure, so she chalked it up to her imagination.

". . .No."

"Then, why are you avoiding me lately?"

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Really? Care to explain why you want to switch earlier?"

Nozomi looked at her with an unreadable expression, which caused Eri's heart to palpitate. The blonde went back to arranging the books on the shelves, trying to think of some way to explain her situation.

_Don't do this now. I'm not even sure of it myself._

Her hands kept shaking so she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

". . .I'm sorry," Eri started, closing her eyes and trying her best to still her beating heart, "It's not your fault. I'm just stressed out lately."

_That is not entirely untrue. I _am_ bothered by my feelings and it's not _your_ fault that you're having this kind of _effect_ on me._ She thought.

Nozomi arched her eyebrow, still unconvinced with her explanation. Eri opened her eyes and looked at her friend with all the seriousness and sincerity she could muster.

"I'm honestly still figuring things out. I promise to let you know when everything is sorted out, okay?"

The purple-head fixed her with an unyielding gaze, but eventually she nodded her head, accepting the half-assed excuse Eri gave.

"Just don't push yourself too much. I'm worried about you."

Eri knew it was Nozomi's way of telling her that she'll be waiting for her and that, no matter what, she _will_ listen. The blonde gave her a smile in return. She was grateful Nozomi wasn't the type of person who pushes a topic that can make people uneasy. (Although, she also knew that Nozomi could really be stubborn if she thought it's necessary to intervene).

After somewhat addressing the problem, their tension subsided and it was replaced by a more comfortable silence.

"Hey Nozomi," Eri mumbled, causing Nozomi to direct her attention back at her, ". . .do you want to join the Student Council with me next year?"

"Does Erichi want to be with me all the time~?" Nozomi drawled out, lacing her tone with her usual playfulness. Despite playing it off, Eri's invitation caused Nozomi's heart to swell with joy.

"You'll get tired of always seeing me, you know."

"I _highly_ doubt that." Eri stated earnestly, not meeting her friend's gaze. It made Nozomi's teasing remark die in her throat. Her brain slowly processed what the blonde said, still comprehending the honesty behind those words. She eventually smiled to herself.

_She easily gets flustered, but when she's being honest she says these things that make me all wobbly inside._ Nozomi thought.

Eri waited for Nozomi's retort, but when she heard nothing, she turned around and saw her friend excitedly pull something out of her pocket. She raised her eyebrows, at the same time as a Tarot Card was placed in her field of vision. She focused her gaze on the object in front of her.

"Two of Cups . . . and that means what exactly?"

"It means that if we play our cards right, we will most probably be with each other for a really long time. Like we're soulmates."

Nozomi innocently gave her a big grin, unaware of Eri's inner struggles. The blonde swallowed her fear, her throat suddenly dry for unknown reasons; she directed a forced smile at Nozomi's way and quickly turned on her back to resume her task of shelving the books.

* * *

Things went normal after their confrontation in the library. Well, as normal is it could possibly get with Eri still in the process of figuring things out. She decided to give up on avoiding Nozomi, knowing that the purple-head has her ways of thawing her frozen exterior. She didn't even want to avoid Nozomi anyway. So, she resolved to just limit her contact with her spiritual friend. Just until she has come to terms with her feelings.

She figured it was the easiest thing to do.

But Nozomi clearly didn't get the memo, making it really difficult for the blonde.

It's not that her friend became clingier or something akin to that. It's just that, the more Eri spent her time with her, the more she discovered the different sides of Nozomi and the more she realized how deep her feelings ran.

It was a cycle she couldn't run away from.

"Erichi? It's PE already. We have to change into our gym clothes"

Eri was startled out of her musings when she heard someone speak beside her. She whipped her head to the sound of Nozomi's voice. Her friend was staring down at her, eyebrows raised in question.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"What are you spacing out about?"

Eri stood up and pulled out the gym clothes out of her bag. "I was thinking about what to put on my Student Council application form."

She smiled at Nozomi and linked their arms together. They started their walk towards the gym lockers. They were so caught up in their conversation they didn't realize that they already reached their destination. Only when they heard the sounds of their classmates' laughter, were they pulled out of their own world. Nozomi let go of her arms and joined in on the other girls' conversation, leaving the blonde reeling from the loss of contact.

Eri watched as Nozomi laughed along with their classmates' joke. She smiled at the sight and walked to her assigned locker to change into her gym clothes.

"I'm glad Eri-chan and Nozomi-chan opened up more to us. The first few months, you guys were really distant. Especially Eri-chan. It was really hard to approach her."

Eri heard Osaka Shizuku speak from behind her. She pulled her shirt on her and listened in on their conversation.

"Yeah. I was really scared of talking to her. She had this superior attitude that I thought she was really conceited."

"Really? I liked Erichi the first time she introduced herself. I thought she was really cute, acting all cool and collected."

Eri blushed when she heard Nozomi defend her. She was about to break into their conversation when Nozomi's next words made her halt.

"She's the best friend anyone could ask for. She's reliable and serious, but she has an embarrassing side too. She's far from perfect but her flaws are what made her really special to me."

_Lub Dub._

Eri's own beating heart drowned out every sound around her. She thought she was having a heart attack with how fast it was banging in her chest. Something large was lodged in her throat, rendering her unable to breathe properly.

_Lub Dub. Lub Dub. Lub Dub_

Eri told herself to take in deep breaths.

Inhale. Exhale.

She tightly clung to her locker for support, her knees suddenly becoming weak. _Nozomi didn't mean anything by it. Don't assume anything. She meant it as a friend._

"You sound like you have a crush on her or something."

She heard laughter fill the room and it brought Eri back to reality. She turned around, the same time as Nozomi lunged at her classmate.

_See? She's just having fun. Nozomi didn't mean anything intimate about it. She's like that with everyone she's close with. _

She watched as Nozomi started groping Shizuku's breast, making the others laugh harder. Shizuku was trying her best to get out of Nozomi's grasp, shrieking in the process. It created quite a fuss that their teacher entered the room and scolded them.

"Quit playing around or all of you will get detention. Everyone get dressed!"

A chorus of _yes_ echoed around the room and the girls quickly started to change out of their uniform. Eri looked at the door, and then directed her attention back at Nozomi to tell her that she would be going on ahead.

Except that when she turned around, her words remained stuck in her throat.

Nozomi was standing there, clad only in her bra and jogging pants.

_Harasho._

Eri was positive that her higher brain function stopped momentarily as her eyes slowly trailed Nozomi's bare torso.

She felt the temperature in the room drastically increase as she stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, at the _naked_ girl in front of her.

_How was she able to hide _that _under all of these clothes?_

Eri's eyes roamed up and down the oblivious girl's body. She doesn't normally burst out profanities, but when her eyes finally settled on Nozomi's chest, her brain only had one thought in mind.

_Shit._

Eri had two realizations at that moment: First is that she really liked how _healthy_ Nozomi is, and she's thankful to Mama and Papa Tojo for raising Nozomi as she is now, and second, she realized that she voiced out her thought because Nozomi quickly turned to her.

Blue met turquoise orbs.

Eri couldn't find it in her to form coherent thoughts, much less blurt out any excuse for her behavior. She could only stare at Nozomi, her mind still occupied with thoughts of flesh, sweat and screams. She recovered only when she heard Nozomi's teasing remark.

"Like what you see?"

Her eyes went wide. She quickly averted her gaze by casting her head down. Eri was sure that her face was burning from embarrassment. She tightly closed her eyes, wishing for the ground to swallow her whole.

_What do I do? She'll think I'm perving on her._

Luckily, she was saved from making a stupid decision when her classmate called out to her.

"Eri-chan, let's go! You could wait for Nozomi-chan inside the gym."

Eri thanked whoever was above for helping her escape a very awkward situation. She didn't care who pulled her, as long as she could get out of the suffocating room. She never bothered to look back because she's afraid of seeing Nozomi's reaction.

_I should add 'no changing out of a uniform in front of Nozomi and vice versa' to my list. If these things keep up, I'll die of heart attack before I reach college._

When she was inside the safety of the gym, she breathed in a lungful of air to calm herself. She proceeded to start with her stretching to blow off some steam, so that the next time she saw Nozomi, she's relatively calm and normal.

* * *

_. . . Did I go too far?_

Nozomi was left looking at Eri's retreating form, worry clouding her thoughts. She wasn't expecting _that_ kind of reaction from the blonde. She thought Eri was used to her normal teasing, but her response made Nozomi rethink her actions.

Nozomi could accept it if her friend got angry or frustrated at her mocking remarks —it was, after all, Eri's default response. Her friend ignoring her wouldn't even be a problem. It wouldn't even bother her if the blonde made her flustered by teasing back.

But seeing fear reflect upon those blue orbs was relatively new. It made her guilty for reasons she's not even aware of.

Despite what her classmates said about her opening up more to the people around her, Nozomi's still the same person she was before. She _appeared_ to be outgoing, but, in truth, it was her way of keeping people at arm's length.

She still hid her feelings and thoughts, choosing to fool around and play things off when things get too serious for her liking.

She still didn't want others to worry about her or make a big deal out of her.

She still chose not to form close bonds with the people around her.

It was only Eri who was the exception.

Nozomi was still the same insecure little girl who feared the thought of losing the things that are important to her now.

Eri's friendship included.

_Maybe I should cut down on the teasing. _Nozomi thought. She was on her way to the gym, reflecting on what she did to produce that kind of reaction from Eri. In the end, she didn't have an inkling about the reason why it happened.

_I think that's the best thing to do._

She decided to minimize her teasing and to think first before she acts stupidly again. She didn't want to do things that may jeopardize her friendship with the blonde.

She didn't realize that by doing these things, she's causing an inevitable rift in their friendship.

* * *

"Mama keeps nagging me to invite you here again. Sometimes I think she wants you to become part of the family or something." Nozomi spoke to her phone, her homework long forgotten on her desk. She was only supposed to call Eri to ask about a certain Math assignment, but the conversation slowly drifted to different topics. (Not that she minded. She's glad for the break anyway.)

Nozomi heard laughter at the end of the line. When Eri answered, Nozomi could still hear glee in her voice.

"_Maybe we should just switch since my mom's doing the same. She won't stop gushing about your Tarot Card reading."_

"That would really be weird. You speak Russian in your household and I don't know any of that language." Nozomi chuckled, thinking about her visit to Eri's home last week. She was glad Eri's family was really accommodating, especially Eri's younger sister. Even though Arisa knows little Japanese, she still tried her best to communicate with Nozomi so that she wouldn't feel left out.

"Anyway, the pictures you brought were too cute. I didn't know you were a ballet dancer when you were young."

"_. . .Yeah. It was in the past, I didn't think it was important to bring up into our conversation."_

Nozomi noticed how Eri took a long pause at the start. She wanted to ask Eri about it, but decided not to. She knows that the blonde would talk to her when she's ready.

"Non-chan, come to the living room. We have something to tell you"

Nozomi heard her Mama shout from outside. She was about to inform Eri, but she was saved from saying anything when the blonde spoke up.

"_I should probably end this call now, since I still haven't finished my assignments. See you tomorrow."_

"Okay. Goodnight!"

"_Goodnight."_

Nozomi bid her goodbye and ended their call. She got up from her bed and sauntered to the living room. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was the somber atmosphere. She stared at her parents; they looked so solemn that it made Nozomi anxious.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, eyes darting from her mom to her dad. She could see the conflict behind their eyes. She didn't like what it implied.

Her parents only stared at one another, silently urging the other to answer their little girl's question. Both of them didn't want to be the bringer of bad news. For the past few months, they observed how their daughter's eyes shined as she talked about her day, how she opened up more to them, and how she talked about the new friends she made in school. It was a far cry from her short answers of _it's okay _or _the usual._ They were glad that they made the right decision of moving to Otonokizaka. They were glad to see the change in their little girl's demeanour.

But, they never considered that this happiness was short-lived.

They never wished to see the smile on their child's face evaporate.

Nozomi saw her father heave a deep sigh and look at her with a sad expression. His next words made her world crash down on her.

"The company called."

It was their code for: _We're moving again._

How many times has Nozomi heard that particular phrase? The exact same phrase she had grown to detest. The same phrase that held false promises and lies she had grown to put up with. The phrase she doesn't want to hear come out of her parents' mouth.

Ever.

How many times has that phrase destroyed her childhood? The amount of friends she could _have_ made. The amount of sleepovers she could _have_ participated in. The amount of tears she had shed because of her parents' continued refusal to her demands of staying_._

That phrase always _ruined_ everything for her.

She averted her eyes and schooled her features, clenching her fists to keep it from shaking. She didn't want them to see her devastation.

Her father continued explaining things to her, but she wasn't listening. She was busy reigning in her emotions. Her heart kept telling her to disagree with her parents' decision, but her mind told her not to do anything selfish.

"We're moving in a month. On your summer vacation. . ."

_No. Stop. Tell them you don't want to._

_But they're your parents. You should just listen to them._

". . .so that it won't clash with your current classes. . ."

_It clashes with everything._

_But, it's for the best, right?_

". . .I'll inform the school that you won't be enrolling for the fall semester. . ."

Nozomi felt the sting in her eyes. She bit her tongue to stop the flow of tears.

_You're on the verge of tears, but you still put up appearances._

_You'll just have to forget about the things you've done here. You could always start anew._

". . .you could still finish this semester, to say goodbye to your friends, especially Eri-chan"

_Eri._

The name brought her back to her senses. She fixed her parents with a pleading look, not wanting to voice out her concerns. She wanted to deal with the drama when she's emotionally stable—afraid that she might lash out irrationally to her parents. She inhaled deeply and breathed out courage when she exhaled, but when she opened her mouth to speak, a crack in her voice betrayed her brave exterior.

"C-can. . .I be excused?"

She didn't wait for a response and staggered back to her room. She could still hear her parents talking with each other when she closed the door.

_Probably about future plans they didn't tell me about._ She thought bitterly. Nozomi wasn't the type to hold a grudge, but the pain in her chest was overpowering her rational side, making her think about negative things.

She slid down the door, suddenly drained of her energy. On the back of her mind she always knew that she was tired of everything. Tired of always controlling her feelings, so as not to appear weak. Tired of always being the good girl who never went against what her parents' wanted. Tired of always making excuses and showing fake smiles. All these years, she had learned how to put up a façade—how else could she have noticed Eri's false appearance? After all, it takes one to know one.

Fifteen years of concealing everything took a great deal out of her.

So for once, she let her emotions break loose. She felt the hot liquid start to cascade down her face. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around it, burying her face into her arms. She bit her lips to prevent the sounds from escaping her mouth and her frame started shaking violently.

She didn't want to show her parent's the sight of her breaking down. She didn't want to let them feel guilty. They didn't do anything wrong. They just did what they thought was best for her.

_But is what they thought really best for you? Look at yourself. You're crying and you don't even want to let them know that you're doing it._

Nozomi wanted to tell her subconscious to shut up, but she couldn't deny the truth behind its words. She knew that her subconscious was right. In the past, she didn't question her parents' decision because she was too young to even know what was right and what was wrong for her. She knew they were really good people, always supporting her with what she needed, be it a new set of books or a brand new toy.

But it was never what she _wanted._

Now that she could fend for herself, she doubted if her parents' really made the right choice.

Truth be told, Nozomi didn't want to leave Otonokizaka. It was the closest place she could call as her _home_. In here, she didn't mind knowing even the smallest detail of their neighbourhood. She didn't mind knowing the address of her house or the name of their landlord. In here, she didn't mind unpacking all her things.

In here, she made a _friend_.

A friend she always went home with. A friend she always shared a laugh with. A friend she could banter for hours on end. A friend who understood her and never judged her for being her normal weird self.

In Otonokizaka, she never felt lonely.

Because she met Ayase Eri.

And that thought left her not wanting to leave Otonokizaka.

Because she found a place where she could finally say that she belonged.

* * *

"Hey."

Nozomi saw a shadow towering over her and tiredly lifted her head from her desk, exhausted from the day's classes. She got scolded by her teacher twice because she wasn't paying attention. She couldn't help it though; she didn't sleep much because of last night's events.

She focused her attention at Eri, eyebrows raised in question. She was too tired to even open her mouth.

"Are you sick again? You haven't been yourself today."

Nozomi shook her head and proceeded to put her head back down on top of the desk. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Especially her blonde friend. She closed her eyes, inviting sleep to take over her body. She figured it would help reduce her irate mood.

But, obviously, Eri wouldn't let her.

She felt something cool pressed against her neck. She recoiled and quickly stood up from her chair. She glared daggers at Eri who was looking at her sheepishly. She saw her friend clutching the _offending_ water bottle in her hands. She wanted to throw it back at her, just to vent out her anger, but, in the end, she just blew out an annoyed sigh.

Eri didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of her bad mood.

"Do you want to grab something to eat on our way home?"

Nozomi had half a mind to reject her, but the innocent tone and the puppy dog eyes Eri sent her made her say yes, albeit reluctantly. She gathered her things and signalled for Eri to do the same.

On their walk to wherever Eri planned to go, they were surrounded by silence. Eri tried to engage her with small conversations, but Nozomi only gave her short responses, so she resigned eventually. She knew that it was unfair for the blonde to be treated indifferently, but Nozomi had a lot of things in her plate that she didn't bother to put up a façade. She knew Eri would see through her anyway.

"Why are you staring? Is there something on my face?"

Nozomi felt the intense stare Eri was directing at her, so she turned her head to pacify her friend's curiosity. Eri was surprised that Nozomi took notice of her actions, but that didn't deter her from asking the question that had been bothering her since first period.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?"

_Of all the questions in the world, this is what she asks._ Nozomi thought. She released a sigh of defeat.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

Despite her irate mood, Nozomi couldn't help but smile at Eri's persistence. The blonde always had her ways of getting what she wanted from Nozomi, be it through her charming ways or pleading looks. Sadly, that technique won't work now.

"If you don't want to answer, I won't force you. But, at least, pretend to look happy with me. We could go eat some cake in the newly opened shop somewhere here."

Eri offered her a smile, which Nozomi returned genuinely. She was happy Eri was putting up an effort to cheer her up, so she let her friend drag her to a nearby café. Once inside, they were directed to an empty booth.

"I'll do the ordering. What do you want?" Eri asked.

"Anything that has no caramel in it." Nozomi answered, sitting down on the empty chair. Eri left her to place their orders near the front, allowing Nozomi to observe the room. It wasn't crowded, but it wasn't deserted either. Just enough people to provide a relaxing ambience.

_She took me to a place where it's easy to relax. Might as well take this time to not think about anything and just . . . live in the moment._

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the semblance of quietness the café has to offer. She was brought back from her thoughts when she heard a _thud_ on the table. She turned around and saw two desserts placed in front of her. Eri handed her a spoon and started digging in on her own share of the sweet treats. Nozomi observed her friend; Eri was clearly enjoying her own dessert, since she couldn't help but utter sounds of approval every time her food comes in contact with her mouth.

_. . .Such a kid._

Nozomi's lips lifted up a fraction and she started eating her own dessert. They stayed silent for a while, content with just enjoying their treat and each other's company.

"We should do this more often. The atmosphere is relaxing and it kind of helps me to not think about the stress I'm facing on a daily basis." Eri commented, putting her spoon down.

"Uhm hmm. . ."

"Their chocolate cake is delicious too! We should probably try their other desserts next time."

"Hmm. . ."

"You should try mine and see if it suits your tastes, and then—Nozomi? Are you even listening?"

Nozomi looked up from her cake and regarded Eri with a tired expression. ". . . What?"

"Geez, thank you for gracing me with your attention."

"Err . . . sorry about that."

"Do you. . .want to talk about whatever it is that's. . .bothering you?" inquired Eri.

Nozomi considered Eri's offer for a minute, finally giving in to the blonde's insistence. "We'll still be friends, right? No matter what?"

"Of course! Why? Did you do something _wrong_?. . .Or did you find me _irritating _now? Is it my fault? "

"N-no. Of course not." Nozomi furrowed her brow at Eri's unusual remark. She had no idea why her friend doubted herself. She shook her head and continued with her explanation.

"It's just that . . . my parents were relocated again. And I . . . don't want to move, but I'm scared of telling them about it."

She heard a sigh of relief and lifted her head in time to see Eri studying her intensely.

". . .why should you be scared? It's not like you did something wrong. I think it's better to talk to them instead of always bottling your feelings. They wouldn't know what's on your mind if you don't speak to them" Eri answered her pointedly, as if telling her it was the most obvious thing to do in these kinds of situations.

"But. . I don't want to be selfish."

"I don't think you are . . . you told me that you have been moving a lot since you were a little kid. That proves to me that you're the most selfless person I know for putting up with a lot of things."

Eri reached out to squeeze Nozomi's hand. "If ever they won't agree, just know that I'm still here. We could still meet up every week or something. Just because we live far away, doesn't mean that our friendship has to end."

Nozomi eyed the blonde, appreciating her efforts of lifting her mood and giving her the much needed boost. She sent Eri an honest smile and started taking in her food with more enthusiasm than before.

". . .For a person who appears cold and intimidating, you sure have a really big heart."

"Whatever. Eat your dessert or I'll steal it from you."

* * *

With a newfound courage ignited within her, Nozomi resolved to tell her parents' about what's bothering her. She knew that Eri was right. If she was adamant about not leaving the place, she should not be mum about her problems and try to share a piece of her mind to her mother and father.

That's what she planned to do.

But sitting in front of her parents' at the dinner table made her courage dissipate slowly.

"Nozomi, aren't you going to eat that?"

She heard her father speak beside her. She managed to squeak out a 'yes' and went back to silently play with her food, occasionally putting bits and pieces inside her mouth.

_So much for the pep talk earlier_. Nozomi thought, berating herself for her cowardice.

"Um. .Listen Non-chan. You're Father and I talked about the relocation and we were thinking that—"

"—could I. . ."

Her muttering caught her parents' attention. They looked at her, silently encouraging her to speak up. "What is it, dear? We didn't hear you."

_This is it. This is your chance. You could do it._

Nozomi swallowed to get rid of the tightness in her throat. She took a deep breath, gathering up the much needed confidence.

"Before making a decision, I just want you guys to hear me speak about my side of things," Nozomi said, glad that her voice did not betray her for once. She looked at her father dead in the eye, summoning all the seriousness she could manage.

"I don't want to move," She declared, her voice thick with sincerity, "Not because I want to disobey you guys or anything. All these years I've been doing what you guys wanted."

She directed her attention at her mother who was sporting an unreadable expression.

"It made me lonely but I shouldered everything, thinking that one day everything would be better. And I-I grew up to regret it. . .I grew up h-hating the fact that we have no. . .p-permanent place that we could live in. . .But I never h-hated you guys because I know that you were just l-looking out for me."

She didn't realize that she had started crying until her mother stood up to wipe the tears off her face. Her Mama proceeded to hug her but that didn't stop her from speaking.

"But I'm already in high school. And I-I know how to take care of myself now." She sniffed, her sobs starting to disrupt her speech. Her vision started to blur, and she knows that, by now, everyone could hear the crack in her voice. She heard the scrapings of a chair and felt someone give her a hug from behind.

"I've never been s-selfish. . .but for once I w-want to be. Even if it's until I graduate high school, can we please not. . .m-move?"

After delivering her speech, she allowed herself to cry out loudly. All those years of pent-up sadness, finally escaping her small frame. Her parents could only hug her tighter, whispering soothing words and apologies beside her ear.

After dealing with the aftermath of her outburst, Nozomi had a lengthy talk with her parents. They took into consideration how badly Nozomi didn't want to leave. They apologized profusely for the anguish they caused their daughter. They didn't realize that they subjected Nozomi to a life she didn't want. They thought that giving her what she needed was enough to make her happy because Nozomi never complained about it, until now. She hugged her parents and accepted their apology, not wanting to make a fuss about what's in the past. She told them that she was currently happy and that she wanted it to stay that way.

Even though they settled their misunderstandings, her parents regrettably told her that they can't grant what she wanted. The decision of the company was final and they were expected in the other branch next month since they both held a valuable position in the company.

But, they made a compromise: They would allow Nozomi to live by herself, granted that she take good care of herself and still maintain her high grades.

"We don't want you to slack off just because we're not with you anymore."

"And we will check up on you every now and then, just to see if you need anything. We will send you your monthly allowance, so we'll have to go to the bank to open up your own account."

"And also, no boyfriends. . . or _girlfriends_." Her dad reminded her, a teasing smile forming in his lips. The comment put Nozomi off guard, but, nonetheless, it made her laugh. "I'm just making sure. I see the way you look at Eri-chan and I'm thinking that it's not platonic."

Nozomi choked on her laughter and felt her face burn from chagrin. She gave her father the evil eye. "She's just a friend."

"Really? Every time you open your mouth, the word 'Eri' always comes out. Either you're worried that Eri-chan seems to be pushing herself too much or you comment on how she's so cute when she does certain things." Her mother chimed in from the kitchen. If it was possible, Nozomi blushed even harder.

"And you told us that she got your attention the first time she introduced herself, then you proceeded to watch her from the sidelines for the next few days."

"We're not saying that it's bad or anything. We've met a lot of people and we've seen _worse_ things since we travelled a lot, so this revelation is relatively normal. It's nice to know that we wouldn't have to deal with teenage pregnancy once we come back." Her Mama came into the living room and sat down beside her on the couch. Nozomi thought she'd never hear the words _teenage pregnancy _come out of her mother's mouth, but, apparently, her parents' had a lot of surprises up their sleeves.

"Yeah. Besides that, we just want you to know that not everyone in the society is accepting. People may view it differently and would see you as an abomination. But we want you to know that we love you, _no matter what._"

Nozomi gawked at her parents, her face still a little red from embarrassment. She couldn't believe that they have the audacity to point out what she was doing for the past few months. She thought that she was being discreet about it. Nevertheless, she was grateful for the support that they were showing her. She hugged both of them tightly to show her appreciation.

"Is that the reason why you keep nagging me to invite Erichi here, Mama?"

"Partially. . .but I like seeing her, it's like having another daughter in the house."

Nozomi smirked, rolling her eyes at her mother. So _apparently, scheming runs in the blood._

". . .okay. . .I admit. . .I do like her. . .maybe a little bit as more than a friend."

The resulting laughter coming from both of her parents' eased Nozomi's nerves about liking another girl.

"We don't think it's just _a little bit._"

Nozomi gave her dad a glare to shut him up. It only made them laugh harder.

* * *

The next few weeks were a blur for Nozomi. Her parents' kept dragging her to go shopping with them for the things she would need for her new apartment. They didn't allow her to keep their old one since it was too big for one person alone. They settled with a one-bedroom apartment, a block away from the Kanda shrine. They made the arrangements with the landlord and Nozomi was permitted to move in by the end of the day.

On their way there, Nozomi saw a sign that they were in need of a volunteer Miko in the shrine nearby. She didn't pass up the opportunity for the spiritual experience and quickly asked if she was qualified to apply. Luckily, the person-in-charge was there and she gladly accepted Nozomi's application. She went on and told Nozomi she could start by end of next week.

"Take care of yourself, okay? We'll see you in a few months."

Nozomi nodded her head and moved to give her parents a tight hug. She was currently in the airport to see them off. As much as she liked the freedom they bestowed upon her, she was still sad that her parents' had to leave because of work. (The waterworks had already stopped a few hours ago inside her new apartment, but she still fought to keep the onslaught of tears from pouring out.)

"Oh. Before we forget. Here." Her dad handed her a box. She raised her head to look at him curiously.

"It's a camcorder. Since we aren't here with you to witness you grow up into a fine young lady, we, at least, wanted to see your own adventures. You can use that to make some memories, so that by the time we come back, we could all watch it together."

She gave her parents a watery smile and promised them that she would take good care of it. She gave each one of them one last hug and watched them enter the sliding doors. Nozomi stood rooted on her spot until she was sure that her parents' won't just barge back in and demand the she come with them.

When she received a text from her mother telling her that they're boarding the plane, she figured it was time for her to head back too. She pulled out her phone to check the time, but a new text message caught her attention.

**_Erichi_**

_I heard that there's a good_

_dessert shop in Akiba,_

_I want to try their food._

_Want to accompany me?_

(=^-ω-^=)

**Nozomi**

_What time?_

_**Erichi**_

_Lunch time? Around 12nn_

_It's still early, so I'll pick you up_

_at your apartment. Then we could_

_go together._

**Nozomi**

_ Okay. See you later! _

o(≧∇≦o)

_ PS. Is this your way_

_ of cheering me up? _

**_Erichi_**

_See you!_

_PS. Keep dreaming on._

_I just want to eat their_

_chocolate pudding._

Nozomi smiled as she read Eri's last message to her. She pocketed her phone and started her journey back to her apartment. When she arrived at her house, she was surprised to see Eri standing by her door.

"I thought you'll pick me up around noon?"

"I didn't specify the time. I just told you I'll pick you up so we can go together." Eri answered her wittingly, which earned her an amused smile from Nozomi. They both entered Nozomi's apartment.

"Sorry if it's a mess. I still haven't unpacked most of my things." Nozomi said while taking her shoes off.

"Will you be alright being alone here?"

"Of course."

Eri looked around the small room. It was different from Nozomi's house from before. The place was _bare _and the atmosphere was lonely. Eri probably wouldn't survive one day living alone here. She could already imagine the cold and dark nights; it brought shivers to her spine.

"Are you cold?" Nozomi asked, looking at her with concern.

"N-no. It's just that. . .the thought of living alone here . . .it's kind of sad."

Nozomi gave her a small smile. "I'm not alone."

Eri raised her eyebrows in question.

"There could be ghosts or other spiritual beings here. We just couldn't see them." Nozomi whispered, her words laced with her usual teasing. She got her desired effect when Eri moved closer to her.

"N-nozomi! Shut up, please!"

"I didn't know Erichi was easily scared~," Nozomi chuckled, "I'm only kidding. But I honestly don't think I'm alone." . . ._because I know you'll insist on visiting me from time to time._

Eri looked at her doubtfully, unsure if Nozomi was making fun of her again or not. Nozomi gave her a secretive smile and a wink. She turned around and headed for her living room, not giving Eri any chance to respond.

* * *

...and that's that. I'm sorry I wasn't able to introduce the members of µ's. I couldn't fit it in this chapter, so they'll most likely make an appearance for the next one. Anyway, feedback is always welcomed :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Characters aren't mine :) Also, this story contains most of my headcanons O_O If you disagree with some of them, come talk to me in Tumblr or in here :D Let's discuss about it so that we could reach a compromise.

**A/N: **Errors are all mine. If you see one, come message me xD

* * *

She was, once again, annoyed by the sight in front of her. _Piles_ of letters were jammed into her locker, making it really difficult to pull out her indoor shoes without the letters flying out. Eri was not used to this kind of attention. Ever since she became the Student Council Secretary two semesters ago, these incidents had become a normal occurrence.

She knew that she _should_ feel flattered; however, with the rate the letters kept coming, her patience had also been thinning. Just last week, a boy confessed to her outside their school gates —she rejected him, of course— but, it caused quite a commotion. Her classmates wouldn't stop pestering her about the details until she got fed up and snapped at them. Luckily, Nozomi was passing by and saw the scene; she placated the situation and apologized on Eri's behalf, telling them that Eri was just having a bad day and didn't intend to be mean.

The only positive thing Eri got out of it was that it gave most of the students the idea that she was not interested in relationships at the moment. After all, she had other responsibilities and things to worry about. The number of confessions had decreased, but her _fans _were relentless and kept bugging her about trivial things; leaving her small gifts with notes attached to it, stating that they would continue to admire her from a distance; or sticking notes on her desk, telling her how cool she was at PE. Just the mere thought of their persistence was already making Eri irritable. She blew out a sigh and carefully extracted her shoes.

". . .that's quite a lot. We're not even halfway this semester."

Eri heard someone speak from behind. She turned around and saw Nozomi's classmate staring at her locker with mild irritation and maybe. . . _envy?_ Eri wasn't really sure.

_Is she annoyed by these things too? _Eri thought. Their eyes met and Eri offered her a tentative smile.

In truth, Eri didn't know anything about the girl other than her name. Nozomi had just introduced Yazawa Nico to her three weeks ago. She was surprised at how quick Nozomi adapted, already making new friends in her class —not that it was difficult. After all, they only have _three_ classes in their year. Nevertheless, it kind of made Eri feel left behind. It's not like Eri wasn't allowing Nozomi to be friends with the other students, but she couldn't deny that she was a _little bit _jealous by it. But mostly, she was relieved that Nozomi was opening up more to the people around her.

When they entered their second year in Otonokizaka, she and Nozomi were placed in different classes. It made Eri a bit nervous. She didn't like their separation because she was aware that she's not good at dealing with others, considering that her people skills were close to zero; she knew how awkward she was with other people aside from Nozomi. In spite of everything, Eri was glad that Nozomi still spends her lunch together with her, sometimes inviting —or rather, dragging— Nico with them. (The pig-tailed girl had always shown reluctance, but, one time, Eri saw her getting her lunchbox out even though Nozomi didn't say anything. Eri couldn't help but give Nico a knowing smile their whole lunch break.)

Their routine still hadn't changed. Nozomi would still always wait for Eri to finish her work in the Student Council —occasionally helping them even though she wasn't part of it— and go home together. It's not as though Nozomi wasn't offered a position back in their first year, she was the one who wasn't willing to join. She had reasoned out that it still wasn't her time and had given her supporters an innocent smile. They only looked at her sadly, but they didn't force her any further.

"I have no idea how they managed to insert these many inside." Eri said as she slowly shut her locker.

"Are you going to address all of that?" Nico looked at her curiously.

"I don't know what to say to all of them. I don't want to be mean, but I also don't want to keep their hopes up."

"Well, ignoring it is also an option. Although, that won't stop them from sending you gifts. If I were you, I'd probably just address all of it with the same content. You could politely decline and write them something along the lines of 'Sorry. I'm too busy with personal things and just want to enjoy my high school life without commitments'. That's what celebrities usually do when they write back to their fans."

". . .Celebrities?" Eri raised her eyebrows at Nico. _Is she seriously advising me that?_

"Yes. Have you not heard of them? Do you live under a rock?!" Nico cried out, sounding personally offended by Eri's ignorance. The blonde could only stare blankly at her, she didn't know if she should be offended by Nico's remark or not.

"Yes. I do know one thing or two about them. . .it's just that. . .you seem very knowledgeable about these things."

"Of course. I know _at least_ this much, since I planned to become a professional idol in the future."

_Seriously?_

She observed Nico; the girl didn't have an ounce of uncertainty or dishonesty shown on her face; the only thing Eri could see was the passion and determination behind her red eyes.

_So she's not really as haughty as I thought she was. . .she's just passionate and career-oriented. _Eri's lips slowly lifted to form a small smile.

Nico scrunched her eyebrows at Eri, weirded out by her behavior. "Is something wrong with it?"

"No."

Nico huffed and shook her head. She turned around and started walking in the direction of the classrooms, leaving Eri still smiling at her back.

"Someone's in a good mood. Did anything nice happen to you?"

Eri heard Nozomi speak beside her. She turned her head and looked at her friend. Nozomi was smiling at her, eyes shining brightly. Eri willed her heart to stop hammering in her chest and forced herself to breathe normally. She returned Nozomi's smile with one of her own. (Eri hoped it didn't come out as a grimace or anything of that sort.)

"Nothing. I just talked to Nico-chan. She's quite . . . interesting."

"She always brushes me off, but i think she's really nice." Nozomi said, looking at Nico's retreating form. When Nico turned around a corner, she directed her attention back at Eri.

"You have Student Council work later, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Just thought I'd accompany you so that we could go home together."

"The Student Council room is off limits to people who are not part of the council, you know?"

"I don't think the upperclassmen mind that much. Whenever I drop by, they hand me some of the council's paperwork. It's like I'm the unofficial Student Council Assistant. And besides, if I don't do that, you'll be buried with more paperwork and would probably spend the night in the room." Nozomi chortled, making Eri blush. She just couldn't argue back when it comes to Nozomi. The purple-head always had a retort to everything she says.

"Come on! We'll be late if we stay here for too long." Eri felt Nozomi take hold of her hand. Her breath hitched and she stiffened. _What is she doing? Crap. Our hands are touching! What do I do? What _should_ I do?_

Nozomi proceeded to drag Eri towards the classrooms, but she looked back when Eri didn't budge.

". . .Erichi?"

Eri was startled when she heard Nozomi utter her name. She cleared her throat and gave Nozomi a close-lipped smile. "S-sorry. I just. . .remembered something. A-anyway, let's go."

Eri took a step forward and reluctantly released Nozomi's hand. They continued their walk in silence. The purple-head appeared nonchalant about what she did, as if it was the most normal thing to do; meanwhile, Eri was trying her best to control the erratic beating of her heart. Her mind wouldn't stop conjuring embarrassing scenarios involving Nozomi, her and handholding.

Once they reached the hallways leading to their classrooms, Nozomi tapped Eri in the shoulder, effectively jerking her out of her reverie. Nozomi smiled and muttered, "See you at lunch. I'll try to invite Nico-chan with us."

Eri nodded, giving Nozomi an appreciative smile in return. She bid Nozomi goodbye and entered her classroom. As much as she wanted to, Eri couldn't concentrate much on her lessons that morning, partially because her attention span had reached its limit, but, for the most part, it's because she couldn't stop thinking about the lingering sensation of Nozomi's hand in hers.

She just couldn't shake off the warm feeling the handhold elicited from her.

Four hours later, Eri heard the bell ring, indicating their lunch break. She gathered her things, put them inside her bag and pulled out her lunchbox. Even though she's a model student, she's still a person who could only process so many lessons before her mind went berserk. She stood up and headed for the door. When she exited their room, Nozomi was already outside, propped up against the wall as usual. (One time, she asked Nozomi why she's always waiting for her, but she only answered Eri with _'the teacher always dismissed us ten minutes early'_ and a shrug. Eri never bothered to question her about it again.)

"Are you never going to get tired of waiting for me every lunch? I can go to your room for a change of pace, you know?" Eri stated with a frown.

"I don't mind. I like seeing your pretending-to-listen face."

"W-what? I don't make that face!" Eri shrieked indignantly, earning her a laugh from a Nozomi.

"Sure you do."

"W-why are you even watching me, anyway?"

Nozomi lips twisted into a devious smirk. Eri observed the glint in her eyes, and she realized that she had played right into Nozomi's teasing. "Is it not allowed? Are you shy? If you are, I promise not to look at your adorable face anymore. But it would really be hard, considering that we always go home together."

"Urgh! Stop being such a smartass," Eri groaned, shutting her eyes in frustration. She opened them a minute later, and chose to ignore Nozomi's infernal smirk. It was then that she noticed what Nozomi was carrying.

"Why are you holding that?"

"This?" Nozomi replied, lifting what seemed to be a small bunch of letters, "I found it on my desk this morning. All of these were addressed to me, but the contents are mostly about Erichi. I wanted to ask you what to do about it."

". . .Really?"

"Yes. I've been receiving these kinds of letters for the past few weeks. It always contained things like, 'You and Ayase-san are so close. Please always take good care of her.' or 'Do you know what type of things Ayase-senpai likes?'," Nozomi stated, sniggering as she recalled the contents of the letters, "I don't know if I should reply to them or not, but you sure are popular, Erichi. I'm scared that these people will get angry at me for always taking your time. They'll probably take you away from me if I'm not careful enough."

"Don't be absurd!" exclaimed Eri, her words laced with panic. The thought of Nozomi getting mauled by Eri's admirers frightened the blonde. "That would never happen. It's not their place to tell me who I should and should not associate with. Also, I'm sure that no one understands me better than you do." Eri finished her sentence with a firm nod.

Nozomi gave Eri a cheeky grin, eyebrows arched in amusement. "Thanks Erichi. That's a really nice thing to say."

Eri's eyes went wide when she realized what came out of her mouth. She tried her best to control the blush from appearing on her face; not giving Nozomi any chance to tease her further, she continued speaking, "A-anyway, is Nico-chan coming with us?"

"No. She said she has other matters to do and left me to go to her clubroom."

". . . she's in a club?"

"She's the president of the School Idol Research Club. Although, i think she's the only member now. I kept inviting her to eat with us, but it seems that she sometimes wants to be alone."

"Only member? You need to have at least five members to form a club, right?"

"I don't know every detail, but she said the other members left."

"That's quite . . . lonely."

"That's what I thought too. . .I do believe nobody wants to be alone."

A loaded silence passed over them, both of them too absorbed in their own thoughts. Nozomi's statement made Eri study her; she was aware of the meaning behind her friend's words and she couldn't help but empathize with her. As an act of camaraderie, she grabbed Nozomi's hand and offered her a diminutive smile, conveying the words that she didn't have to say for Nozomi to understand: _I'm here. You aren't alone_.

Nozomi fixed her an unwavering gaze, and, after a while, her lips quirked up. She squeezed Eri's hand in return, appreciating the blonde's gesture. She lets go of Eri's hand and began her walk to their usual spot for lunch, the blonde following her from behind.

Later that afternoon, Eri spent her time engrossed in Student Council stuff. The third years had just started with their preparation for the university entrance exams, leaving her to do most of the paperwork since she holds the next highest position after the vice president; and being the responsible person she is, she opted to start with it as soon as possible.

She's alone inside the Student Council room, finishing up their work for the day since her first year companion left early due to a family emergency. Nozomi was supposed to accompany her, but she forgot to return something from the library and told Eri to go on ahead.

_It's been an hour, why isn't Nozomi still here?_ Eri wondered, looking at the clock.

She went back to her documents, correcting some of the errors she saw, until she heard a knock; she looked up, anticipating Nozomi at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing someone Eri didn't expect to see. "Ah! Minami-senpai," she called out, surprised at the Student Council President's arrival.

"Sorry for disturbing you Eri-san. I was on my way to cram school, but, then, I decided to drop by since I wanted to see you and ask you a favour."

Eri arched her brow in question. The president smiled and continued speaking, "Is it alright to recommend you for the position of Student Council President? The turnover is in two months, but your duty won't start until the next semester, although you'll probably be given work during the summer break."

Minami sat on the desk in front of Eri and fiddled with the strap of her bag, giving Eri a pleading look as she went on with her speech, "Most of the third years think you're the one most suited for the position. It's up to you to choose who will be your Vice President, but we recommend someone whom you can trust and depend on."

Eri looked at the president incredulously. She didn't know what to do except open her mouth in shock. When she got the control of her jaw back, she stuttered out a weak response.

"I-i. . .should. . .but—"

"—we're not telling you to accept it right away, but we would like you to consider our proposal."

Minami gave Eri a curt nod and a smile before exiting the room. Eri was left to absorb the newfound information. She didn't realize she was staring blankly ahead until Nozomi entered the room yelling her excuse for being late. Nozomi looked at her curiously but Eri only gave her a frown and went back to her paperwork, trying to concentrate but failing to do so.

The president's words were swirling on the forefront of her mind.

_Can I do it?_

* * *

News spread out fast and the following weeks, everyone had already heard that Eri was recommended to be the next Student Council President. The next thing she knew, people kept approaching her to congratulate her or give her a pat on the back even though the election process still didn't start. It annoyed her to no end, but more than that, it put more pressure on her.

Eri tried her best to continue with her everyday activities. She acted normally in front of everyone, but she knew that she couldn't hide her overwhelming thoughts from herself. She couldn't conceal the doubts that were clawing at her mind. Being recommended by the majority to become the next Student Council President was a big deal for her, but she honestly believed that she couldn't do it. She just didn't trust herself enough to do things without failing in the end.

She's already done that in the past and she didn't want a repeat of everything.

She kept telling herself that she had to give her answer soon, but she didn't want to disappoint a lot of her peers because she decided to reject the offer. Her plan was only to join the Student Council for extra credentials, but becoming its President wasn't in her intention.

It would only be a way for people to know how much of a disappointment she really was.

She wouldn't want to subject herself with another humiliation.

"Sorry I couldn't cook anything fancy right now," Nozomi apologized, regarding Eri for a while. "I didn't expect the sudden visit so I wasn't able to go grocery shopping. Would curry be okay?"

"Anything would be okay, really." Eri answered with a twist of her lips, but she was aware that her smile was unconvincing because Nozomi gave her a dubious look. They were currently hanging out inside Nozomi's apartment since Eri decided to skip the Student Council meeting for the day.

Earlier, When Eri asked if she could stay over, Nozomi fixed her a blank stare, but, in the end, she acquiesced. As much as Nozomi liked to, she didn't question Eri about her sudden plan because she knew that Eri was responsible enough to make decisions on her own.

Although, that didn't stop Nozomi from voicing out her concerns.

"If something's bothering you, you can tell me anything. . ."

Eri looked at her from the countertop, mulling over what her friend offered. She didn't open her mouth to speak, so Nozomi took it as a sign that the blonde didn't want to talk about her problems. Eri watched as her friend sighed and went back to preparing their dinner. She observed Nozomi as she began stirring the contents of the pot.

"Do you need help with things?" Eri asked.

"No. You're a guest, so just stay there until I'm done."

"But—"

"—continue arguing with me and I'll add _Nori_ to your dish."

"It's not even included as an ingredient for curry!"

"Am I hearing someone complaining? Does that person want _Nori_ in there food?"

Nozomi's statement made Eri abruptly shut her mouth. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, directing a pout to Nozomi. The purple-head turned to her and gave her a smug grin and a wink. Eri rolled her eyes and stormed off, leaving Nozomi to laugh at her expense.

_She tells me I'm stubborn, but she acts like a child sometimes._ Eri thought, shaking her head.

Upon entering Nozomi's bedroom, the first thing she noticed was the new additions to Nozomi's decors. She approached the divider cabinet and took a look at the picture frames. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with recognition.

Most of the images she saw were candidly taken.

And most of it consisted of events that Eri had personally witnessed.

_Ah! Our commemorative photo on Nozomi's first day in her apartment . . .and this was taken last New Year, when we first visited the shrine . . .Oh! This was when her parents came to visit last Christmas and surprised her. . ._

Eri instantly smiled as she fondly recalled each memory. She picked up the last frame, which, for some reason, was placed one level higher from the rest.

It was of her and Nozomi.

Both of them wore a party hat with their faces covered in chocolate. Eri noted how happy both of them appeared, each making peace signs and grinning like idiots.

_And this was taken when we celebrated my birthday. . ._

Eri couldn't help but chuckle as the memory flashed in her mind, as clear as the day when it actually happened.

"_Dessert is here!"_

"_You shouldn't spoil your sister too much, Arisa-chan."_

"_N-nozomi! That's really unfair. It's my birthday, after all."_

"_I'm just kidding."_

"_Geez. Stop teasing me. . . Ah! Nozomi, there's something on your face."_

"_Eh? W-where?"_

"_Here!"_

"—_W-what are you doing? Argh! My cheeks are all sticky now. . .stop laughing!"_

"_Y-your. . .your face. . .I-I can't—Argh! N-no. Don't straddle me! Nozomi! You're heavy! N-no— not my forehead! Arisa, help me!"_

"_You guys, please behave! Mom will get angry if she sees this mess."_

She was pulled out of her musings when she heard a knock on the door. She swivelled her head to look at Nozomi and grinned lopsidedly.

"Dinner's ready." Nozomi said.

"I didn't know you have a thing for taking pictures. It's really cute." Eri teased, her eyes shining with mirth. She noticed how Nozomi's eyes went comically wide once she saw what Eri was holding. Nozomi's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out; and if it's possible, Eri's grin became wider, reaching up to her ears.

_It's payback time._

Eri roared with laughter when Nozomi turned on her back, dismissing Eri's mocking. The blonde could see how flushed Nozomi was and she delighted in the fact that for once, she made Nozomi speechless. When she settled down, Eri exited the bedroom and sat opposite Nozomi in the dining table. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, not only because of her sweet revenge against Nozomi, but also because she just found out how much Nozomi treasures their friendship.

Despite her uncertainties, at least she knew that one person considered her as someone important.

They ate their dinner in silence since Nozomi still refused to acknowledge Eri's presence. The blonde didn't mind it since it gave her time to ponder over certain things.

". . .Is my cooking bad?"

Eri looked up from her plate and blinked at Nozomi. "W-what?"

"You've been playing with your food. Is it bad?"

"N-no. Of course not! I was just thinking of. . .something."

Nozomi stared at her pensively. After a while, she blew out a sigh and muttered, "I don't normally pry into other people's business, but you've been spacing out quite a lot for the past few days. Do you want to talk about it?"

Eri stared at worried turquoise eyes.

_Well, she could easily read me and I know I couldn't hide this for too long. . .But what if she disapproves?. . .No. I should just tell her. Nozomi wouldn't get angry with something like this, right? _Eri contemplated, looking at Nozomi anxiously.

She shakily exhales a breath and admiited, "I. . .I don't think. . .I'm ready to become the next Student Council President."

She felt her throat tighten, but she still continued speaking.

"Everyone already assumes that I'll win but I don't think I could take the responsibility. . ." Eri trailed off, swallowing her nervousness. She observed as Nozomi regarded her with an unreadable look. Her hands started twitching, so she closed her eyes and clasped her hands tightly to stop it from shaking. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself and opened her eyes a while later, meeting Nozomi's gaze dead on.

Nozomi still looked at her blankly, making Eri more anxious.

_Is she angry?_

She felt the pounding in her chest increase in its pace.

_She's probably disappointed with me._

Her lips started to quiver.

_What should I do?_

Finally, she heard Nozomi speak.

"Are you not ready? Or are you _scared_? There's a difference."

Eri opened her mouth to reason out, her excuse already at the tip of her tongue. But when Nozomi's words sank in, she paused.

_. . .I don't know._ She thought, averting her eyes.

She clenched her teeth to prevent the tears that were threatening to come out of her eyes.

"I-I don't think I'm capable enough to do it. What if. . .what if I'll fail? I don't want to disappoint anyone."

". . .then, just answer this question. . .are you willing to do it?"

Eri looked back and studied Nozomi, finding nothing but sincerity and admiration behind turquoise orbs. She let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding in. The nervousness that consumed her a while ago started to leave her body and was replaced by a rush of warmth and relief.

She blinked once.

Twice.

She felt the hot liquid cascade down her face.

_I-I want to try. . .Of course. . .I wouldn't want to miss this opportunity. . ._

Willing her heart to stop its frantic beating, she closed her eyes. When she opened them later, the sight in front of her made her catch her breath.

Nozomi was smiling affectionately at her.

"I don't have the right to tell you what to do, since it's basically still your choice, but know that no matter what you choose, I'm right behind you. That's what friends do, right? I'll make sure that you won't push yourself too hard and be the doting friend whom you will eventually find annoying."

Eri couldn't help but chuckle at Nozomi's words while wiping at her eyes. She scrunched her face and stuck her tongue out playfully, which made Nozomi shake her head, muttering _'crybaby'_ under her breath. After their bantering, Eri's expression became serious. She replayed the words that the President told her when she was inside the Student Council room.

_A person whom I can trust and depend on._ Eri mused, the corners of her mouth slowly lifting upwards.

"Nozomi, will you be my Vice-President?"

Nozomi's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, but eventually, she grinned. Eri thought her grin could probably rival the sun with its intensity.

". . .Of course. I promised you, didn't I?"

_She has a way of simplifying things for me. . .she's really an enigma._

Eri gave her a close-lipped smile as she leaned forward, putting her head on top of her hand. Looking at Nozomi through her lashes, she whispered, "You know, anyone would be lucky to have you."

She noticed how the light behind Nozomi's eyes dimmed slightly. She took note of the smile Nozomi directed back.

It didn't quite reach her eyes.

". . .but I don't want just anyone."

Eri felt the pain and sadness that Nozomi's sentence implied. Before Eri could ask about it, Nozomi quickly stood up and went to the fridge, leaving the blonde to wonder about the meaning behind her words.

As the night progressed, Eri observed the purple-head, but she didn't notice anything different from the way Nozomi normally acted. She still made fun of Eri when an opportunity presented itself. She would still maintain eye contact and talk to her as though nothing really happened. They would still laugh about nonsensical things that Nozomi always brought up.

So Eri dismissed what Nozomi said at the table, thinking that it was just Nozomi being her usual cryptic self.

She didn't realize that there was a _very slight_ change in their dynamics.

Because Nozomi avoided any form of physical contact with her that night.

* * *

When June rolled in, Eri found herself busier than before. Her student council duties, coupled with the preparation for the upcoming elections, occupied most of her time. Since she accepted the recommendation and announced her and Nozomi's candidacy, people had been buzzing with excitement. They wouldn't stop discussing how perfect Eri and Nozomi's tandem was. They were both ecstatic about the positive response of the crowd, but in exchange, their time spent together had also lessened because of it.

"Why are you alone?"

Nozomi turned to the sound of someone's voice. "Ah! Nico-chan."

Nico was staring at her, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Erichi is in a meeting right now. She told me to go on ahead without her since it would probably take a while." Nozomi answered, smiling, "How about you?"

"I-I'm—I'm not alone. My friends just left a while ago!" Nico screeched indignantly. Nozomi looked around her, discovering that they were the only ones in the vicinity. She furrowed her eyebrows; she was sure that when she arrived earlier, the locker area was already empty. She looked back at Nico who was smiling hesitantly at her.

She decided to not call Nico out on her lie and shoved her indoor shoes insider the locker.

_Everyone has their reasons for doing things_. Nozomi justified, closing her locker.

She hoisted her bag onto her shoulders and directed her attention back at Nico. "Do you want to go home together? I don't want to walk alone."

"D-do I want to? Really? I-I mean, you should be grateful I'm accompanying you on your way home." Nico scoffed, shaking her head slowly. She appeared casual about it, but Nozomi saw the slight twitch in her jaw. She narrowed her eyes, taking note of how Nico's eyes shined akin to excitement.

She smiled to herself.

_She's like Eri in certain ways._

On their way home, Nico and Nozomi talked about random things. The purple-head noticed how Nico burned with passion at the mention of idols. The pig-tailed girl proceeded to animatedly discuss about what's trending in the idol world until Nozomi's sure her ears were bleeding. She found out that the short girl wanted to pursue a career as an idol, even though a lot of people think it's hopeless and dumb. Nozomi admired how persevering Nico was, so, in turn, she shared some things about herself.

"I can't believe you're socially inept." Nico commented, squinting her eyes at Nozomi. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued, "You were always smiling in the classroom and people always approached you for tarot readings. I thought you had a lot of friends."

"I really don't know if I could call them that."

"Well, at least you have someone you could always go home with and you considered as your friend." Nico responded as a matter of fact. ". . .people find me annoying, so they probably don't consider me as one."

Nico acted as if she didn't care, but, Nozomi was certain she didn't imagine hearing a dejected tone somewhere in Nico's words. She smiled sadly, somewhat knowing how Nico felt.

"If it makes a difference. . .I, umm, don't find you annoying. Overbearing, yes. Egotistic, very. . .but never annoying." Nozomi mumbled.

The shocked look Nico directed at her made the purple-head smirk. Nico opened her mouth to counter what Nozomi said, but no words came out. Eventually, she coughed to cover up her mistake, leading Nozomi to continue speaking confidently.

"Sometimes, I think Erichi finds me unbearable too, since I easily rile her up. Although she gets angry, she still puts up with my antics." Nozomi laughed, remembering the times when Eri would stop talking to her because of frustration, "Isn't that how friendship is supposed to work? Two people accepting each other's flaws wholeheartedly. Showing each other what's holding them back and helping them not to repeat the same mistakes again."

She gave Nico a genuine smile. The short girl could only stare blankly at her.

"You're really. . .something else, Nozomi."

She witnessed as Nico's lips slowly lifted to form a smile.

Probably, the most honest smile Nozomi had ever seen on her.

They continued their walk in a more amicable atmosphere. They talked about the upcoming Student Council elections —_'Don't worry, you guys have my vote. I'll make sure you guys win even if I have to rig the ballots' 'Nicochi, you'll get expelled if you do that'_— and other school stuff until Nico had to part ways with her. They told their goodbyes; Nozomi watched as Nico enthusiastically waved her hands at her and started walking to the opposite side of the road. She took note of the bounce in Nico's steps, and Nozomi couldn't help but feel amused.

She was definitely certain that Nico's claim was _wrong_.

At least _two _people consider her as a friend.

Even if the pig-tailed girl remained oblivious to their offer of friendship.

And continued her refusal to eat lunch together with them.

* * *

"Nicochi, I have to go on ahead now. I need to go to the Student Council room since Erichi's still doing some paperwork. I promised her I'd wait for her there." Nozomi said as she stood up from her chair and strode to the door.

She had just finished helping Nico with their homework. She found out two days ago that Nico was having problems with certain subjects— Nico vehemently denied it, but Nozomi saw how badly she performed in their latest exam when the teachers gave them their papers back. Nico insisted that she didn't need any help, but Nozomi wouldn't take no for an answer. (She threatened the short girl that she would grope her breasts if she continued to reject.)

Nico looked up from the computer and gazed at her. "Do you always do that?"

Nozomi stopped and turned to her, eyebrows raised in question. "Do what?"

"Take care of Eri? She's not a child, you know."

"Sometimes, she acts like one."

"Geez, that's not what I meant and you know it."

". . .If no one tells her to take a break, she would most likely exhaust herself too much and end up getting sick."

Nico narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you realize that, maybe, you're. . .I don't know. . .nagging at her too much? Don't you think she'd get suffocated or something?"

_Is. . .that so?_ Nozomi wondered, reflecting on her interactions with her blonde friend.

When Nico noticed the somber mood Nozomi adapted, she took back what she said, "I-it's not a bad thing, really. I actually quite admire your dedication to her. It's like you're her girlfriend or something."

Nozomi's eyes went wide when she heard Nico's throwaway comment. She knew Nico didn't mean anything by it, but her heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

Screw her hopeful heart.

Reality was far from rainbows and sunshine.

She had already learned that from her past experiences.

"O-our r-relationship isn't like that at all!" She stuttered, darting her gaze away.

. . ._since_ _relationships like that wouldn't end well and It's usually one-sided, _she added solemnly.

Nico raised her eyebrows, but she didn't react any further. It gave Nozomi the chance to avoid saying anything that may give away her real feelings.

"A-anyway, I need to go now. See you tomorrow, Nicochi." Nozomi stammered, hurriedly exiting the room. She exhaled a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her. She leaned against it and clutched at her chest, feeling the fast beating of her heart.

_I never knew that Nico was perceptive._

Once she was relatively calm, she took off towards the Student Council room. She kept repeating Nico's words in her mind; she wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings, so it led her to bump into someone. She tumbled backwards and fell on the floor.

"S-sorry."

Nozomi looked up and saw a blue-haired girl staring down at her with her hand extended. She grabbed the proffered hand and let the girl pull her up.

She smiled and assured, "No. It wasn't really your fault. I didn't see you."

The girl still looked concerned, but, after a bit, she bowed and sauntered away, leaving Nozomi to dust her skirt off some dirt.

When she looked around, she realized that she had already reached her destination. She moved to the nearby door and knocked at it thrice. She waited patiently, but no one answered. Finding it strange, she turned the knob slowly and opened the door.

"Sorry for the intrusion." Nozomi whispered as she surveyed the room; it was empty except for Eri who was alone in the far side of the room with her head down on the desk. The corners of her lips turned upwards and she quietly tiptoed inside.

Once she reached Eri's side, her hand quickly covered her mouth to prevent the laugh from escaping her lips.

Eri was sleeping.

She watched as Eri's chest rose and fell with slow and quiet breathing. Half of her face was framed by her long blonde hair, hiding her from the harsh afternoon glow. She took note of how Eri's face was free from any crease. It was far different from her usual furrowed brows and intimidating looks.

_She's so peaceful._

After a minute, she felt her face heating up. She realized that she was staring at Eri for too long with an idiotic smile plastered on her face. She mentally slapped herself.

_Control yourself, Nozomi!_ She chastised, shaking her head.

She directed her attention back at her sleeping friend, contemplating whether she should wake her up or not. Eri was obviously tired from all her duties and Nozomi didn't want to be the one to disrupt her sleep. She sighed, finally deciding on waiting for Eri to wake up on her own. She grabbed a nearby chair and carefully plopped herself onto it. She scanned the table; a stack of papers were neatly piled up beside the blonde and her laptop was left open.

Suddenly, an idea hit her.

She yanked her phone out of her pocket and opened its camera application. She stepped forward, trying to get a better angle to capture Eri's magnificence. Once she was satisfied, she snapped a picture.

A bright light flashed around the room.

"N-nozomi?"

_Crap_.

Nozomi lowered her phone, smiling at Eri sheepishly. "Sorry for waking you."

She watched as Eri groggily sat up straight and rubbed at her eyes. Nozomi couldn't help but find it adorable. She resisted the urge to take another picture.

_Why is she so cute?_

"Geez, if you're going to take a picture of me, at least take one of me when I'm awake."

Nozomi's eyebrows quirked, she knew the blonde wouldn't normally say something like that. She observed Eri; the girl's eyes were still glazed over. She couldn't prevent the chuckle that escaped her lips. At the sound of it, Eri looked at her, but didn't say anything.

Then, she did something unexpected.

She leaned close, making Nozomi's heart stop beating.

_What is she doing?_

Nozomi's eyes kept darting from Eri to their surroundings.

_She's still half-asleep. She's not aware of what she's doing._

When Eri extended her hand, Nozomi freezed.

_I've seen this in movies before. My body won't move. Of all times, why now?_

She shut her eyes, preparing herself for the inevitable.

She waited patiently.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

She felt the tug at her collar.

"Your bow's crooked."

Her imagination was shattered.

_. . .what?_

Nozomi slowly opened her eyes.

Eri was fixing her bow.

She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed.

"Ha Ha Ha. Y-yeah. I-I bumped into someone earlier. I must have not noticed it."

Eri looked up at her. "That's unusual. You're not the type to be clumsy."

Nozomi gulped. All the tension just left her body, leaving her in a fumbling mess. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"I was r-rounding the corner and didn't see her coming." She answered back. There was still a nervous lilt to her tone, so she cleared her throat, "A-anyway, you shouldn't sleep here. It isn't good for your body."

"I just took a nap for a bit. Besides, I just finished all the paperwork, so give me a break and stop lecturing me." Eri reasoned, reclining on her chair.

Nozomi didn't expect the displeased tone that coated Eri's voice. Again, Nico's words replayed in her mind. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that Eri's somewhat mad at her.

"Am I clingy?" She bursted without thought.

"Huh?" Eri did a double take at her, seemingly awake now, "What made you say that?"

"Nico told me that I may be suffocating you since I'm nagging at you too much. Are you annoyed by me?"

"N-no. In contrast, I appreciate your efforts."

"Then why are you. . .irritated?"

She watched as Eri sighed and rubbed at her temples. Nozomi tilted her head, concern marring her features. Finally, Eri spoke up.

"Because you told me you would accompany me this afternoon. I waited for two hours but you didn't show up. I was supposed to give you something, and, then I fell asleep."

"I was helping Nico with her assignments. . ." Nozomi trailed off, guilty for making Eri wait.

"I know. I was just being irrational. . .I'm sorry"

Eri flashed her an apologetic smile. She got up and went to to other side of the room. Nozomi looked at Eri closely as she pulled something out of her bag (she couldn't see what it was because Eri was blocking the view). Then, the quarter-Russian turned around, hiding something behind her back. She slowly walked towards Nozomi.

"Here."

Eri handed her a neatly wrapped box. She raised her eyebrows and observed the blonde. Eri was fidgeting and Nozomi could see the blush on her face. She smiled quizzically, finding Eri's actions endearing but unexpected. She wondered why Eri was giving her a box, but the blonde's next words answered her question.

"Happy Birthday."

Nozomi was stunned. She could only stare at Eri with astonishment.

"Knowing you, you probably forgot it's your birthday today."

_. . .so that's why she's unusually irritated. She probably thought that I stood her up._

"I know you said that you don't celebrate your birthday much, but I find that unacceptable. I couldn't find the time to buy you a decent gift but I hope you liked what I got you."

Nozomi accepted the present, giving Eri a wide grin in return. She actually never expected the blonde to remember her birthday since she, herself, forgot about it. She unwrapped her gift, revealing an object Nozomi didn't expect to receive in a million years.

She laughed.

"A picture frame? Really?"

"I-If y-you don't like it, then I'm taking it back," Eri stuttered, blushing harder, "I saw your photo collection back when I last visited and I just thought that, maybe, you'd like this because you seem to like taking pictures and—"

"—it's a really thoughtful gift, Erichi." Nozomi cut Eri's ramblings and directed a loving smile at her. She stood up and hugged Eri to thank her. When she leaned back, the wide smile Eri gave her made up for her foolish assumption earlier.

_God, why are you so likeable Erichi? You're making it really hard for me to control myself._

"Do you want to head to a dessert shop before we go home? My treat. It's my birthday, after all." Nozomi asked, carefully placing her gift inside her bag.

"Sure. I wouldn't want to miss out on free food."

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

"Of course. I learned it from the best."

* * *

**Dun Dun Dun Dun. . . **I'm sorry for the late update -_- (Please don't kill me guys _) I only got to introduce Nico in here, because I love the third year trio so much (and probs Umi? but it was only to a certain degree O_O) Anyway, if you were confused about the timeline, here's a summary:

1st sem – April –late July/early August

SUMMER BREAK

2nd sem – Early September – late December

WINTER BREAK

3rd sem - 2nd week January – Early March

I found out that Japan has a trimester system. I was confused about it at first lol. Honoka became the Student Council President in the 2nd semester of her second year xD Eri became the Secretary on her first year (2nd sem). So that's it xD Also, regarding the name of the President, Minami is her _first name_. Kotori has no older sister (in this fic, anyways :D)

Also, QUICK SURVEY:

1.) Is it alright to skim over the events that happened in the anime? (I would not go into details, but I'll still include things that I think are important in my story.) I don't want to include all of it because I wouldn't want to drag the story too much. I just want them to reach college 'coz that's when the plot thickens lol.

2.) What do you think are the names for Nozomi's dad? And also Eri's? (They play a certain part in the future haha)

Thanks for reviewing/favorites/follows. It fuels my urge to write xD Also, shout out to **agent-dragicorn** for asking me the name of Nozomi's mom. It made me rack my brain for an acceptable name. We ended up with **Akemi Tojo **in case you guys were wondering.


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